Posts Tagged ‘ikebana’

Kado is one of the most ancient Japanese art forms.
It is often called ikebana, meaning living flowers, and is the classical art of floral arrangement that originated in Japan.

Many people wonder how kado differs from Western floral art and even more, question why one would spend years to study the Japanese art of arranging flowers, when it’s so easy to fill a vase with beautiful daisies or roses.

But kado is in itself a way of arranging flowers for life and for beauty, and the beauty of life.

According to some authorities, kado has been practiced for more than 600 years. It is thought to have developed from Buddhist rituals involving the offering of flowers, which can be traced to the sixth century introduction of Buddhism to Japan. Part of the worship involved the presentation of flowers on an altar in honor of Buddha.

About Me

Flowers & History In the middle ages a Rose was suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber, pledging all present to secrecy, or sub Rosa, "under the Rose". Evidence of flowers dating back to the prehistoric period have been discovered through Flower Fossils .

By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, flower arrangements were commonplace and a wide variety of materials were used to make containers, including marble, heavy Venetian glass, and bronze. Flower arrangements made during this time introduced a whole new element – the usage of tropical fruits.

Again associated with religion and healing, Calendula is the most sacred flower of ancient India… its flower heads were used to make garlands, which adorned holy statues. The calendula's genus name, wor calendae , means throughout the months .

More than just accessories flowers have been used as medicine, to decorate palaces, and have even played a part in a battle or two. They’ve entertained nobility and some believed held the power to ward off evil spirits. Read more about the intresting and colorful history of the flower in the graphic below.